Serious Liver Damage - How to Treat?!

[tor_c]

Apologies for double-posting, but we need as much info as possible!


Basically, i know of a rescued mare who has been diagnosed with liver damage as a result of ragwort/st. john's wort poisoning. The owner is yet to find out what percentage of the liver is still functioning, but the vet said it was "significantly damaged".

The vet is coming out next week to put the horse on a drip and flush her system out, then re-do the bloods 10 days later to check liver function and see if there has been any improvement. If no improvement, they want to do a liver biopsy. However, what would be the point of the biopsy? Wouldnt it just repeat what the 2 previous blood tests had shown? Would you bother getting it done?

The mare isnt jaundiced (yet), but is VERY photosensitive. She's also rather lethargic and underweight (unsure if the weight is related to the poisoning or to neglect).

I've read that once the horse is showing physical symptoms of liver damage (for example, photosensitivty), the liver is already at least 70% damaged and cannot regenerate. Does anybody know if this is true? I've also read that they can function reasonably well with only 25% function, but for how long? And would the horse need to be on medication?

How much of a role does the liver play during pregnancy?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as neither myself or the owner have ever had any dealings with liver damage.

Many thanks!

Tor. x

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

You wil need to look into it more than I have, but I believe that Milk thistle is useful for liver damage and problems, check out the link below http://www.equushealth.org.uk/prod_details1.htm#M

 

[spaniel]

Whilst I can understand wanting to get as much info as possible I too cannot see much point in the biopsy although I know a number of horses who have had it donw. I fail to see how taking a tiny sample of such a large organ can give you any indictaion of how much damage there is to anything other than the sample.

Anyhow thats by the by. All the liver damaged horses I know are on specific diets plus are supplemented daily with 60ml of Red Cell on the vets advice. Milk Thistle works well and I have recently seen Hilton Herbs Hepaphyte (sp) herbal mix used with some success on a horse with liver damage who suffered a severe case of lymphangitis. I suggested the owner got in touch with Hilary Self at Hilton given the horses medical history and this was the supplement she recommended.

Wait for the vet results and then contact a well qualified nutritionalist for some specialist advice on feeding and supplementation.

 

[Taboo1968]

A good supplement that was recommended by my vet was Visorbin which you canget from Hyperdrug.... unfortunately weight loss is also a sign of liver damage as my little mare could testify, however on the visorbin and red cell she really picked up for a while, but her liver was also significantly damaged and the battle became to hard to fight after a long hard winter and I had to have her PTS in April this year....

I do hope that yours makes it through this.... Maybe some pictures of her now will highlight to people just how dangerous ragwort is..... fingers crossed for you

 

[Cuffey]

Contact Global Herbs for advice
Product Restore
As above milk thistle is indicated for liver damage
Dont give up--local pony recovered, not 100% but had got to the stage of going blind and circling aimlessly